John was fortunate enough to have a work trip to Mauritius, and he brought me back a tasting pack of Saint Aubin Rhum. I have been exploring rum these last few months and learning more about rum in general.

Mauritius is one of those undiscovered rhum producing countries we always forget about. I see regular releases from Barbados, Jamaican and the Caribbean region. But Mauritius is just around the corner from us, and slowly, more of their rhums are making it to South Africa. You can now find New Grove, Chamarel and Penny Blue rums at NWW.

La Plantation de Saint Aubin has been cultivating sugar cane since 1819. The plantation is situated in the south of Mauritius, and the distillery was added later on. The distillery gets its name comes from one of its first owners, Pierre de Saint Aubin.

Saint Aubin makes Mauritian Agricola rhums from freshly squeezed sugar cane juice. The fermented cane juice is distilled once only in an alembic still.

The tasting pack contained the following rhums.

Saint Aubin Rhum Agricole (40%)

A pot stilled blanc Agricole bottled at 40% ABV. Tasting notes include creamy sweet fruit, blueberries, green pine needles and clean green notes. This is a great rhum for cocktails.

Saint Aubin Rhum Agricol (50%)

A blanc Agricole bottled at 50% ABV. My tasting notes captured notes of blackberries and raspberries, fruit pastilles and aniseed. The dark berry notes on this jump out on the nose. Smooth and drinkable. Soft hints of freshly grated lemon peel.

Saint Aubin Epice Rhum

A spice-infused rhum with notes of cinnamon and nutmeg. There was a snicker doodle cookie element with almonds, rosewater and macadamia nuts. My favourite of all the rums we tasted. This is perfect for sipping neat like whisky. Bottled at 40%.

Saint Aubin Vanille Rhum

Bourbon vanilla and toffee sweetness. Nice and sweet, but a bit one dimensional. This rhum will work very nicely with some mix or in a cuba libre cocktail. Bottled at 40%.

Saint Aubin Café Rhum

A coffee flavoured rum that reminded me of Kahlua coffee liqueur. I found it a bit one dimensional where the coffee overwhelmed any other flavours. This rhum will make a great cocktail rhum.

When we return to Mauritius later in the year, I will try to visit Rhumerie de Saint Aubin and do a more in-depth exploration of their rums. For now I will just sit back and dream of tropical islands and sunshine while sipping my cocktails.

Update: Visit to Saint Aubin Rum Rhumerie

During January 2023 I managed to visit the Rhumerie de Saint Aubin in Mauritius. It’s a wonderful drive out to the south side of the island through small villages next to the ocean. The rhumerie is situated just past Souillac. On the estate, there is a restaurant, a nursery with beautiful tropical plants, and a small vanilla plantation where you can see how vanilla is cultivated.

At the tasting room, there are many of the Saint Aubin rums available to taste. Most of the rum that I described above is available for tasting and there are a few more as well.

These fruit-flavoured rum liqueurs are delicious. Ice cold from the fridge on a hot island afternoon, they hit the spot just right. My favourite was the Pina Colada and I see they are available in the regular supermarkets in Mauritius as well.

Saint Aubin also released a gin made from pure sugar cane juice and flavoured with juniper berries. It has a sweeter undertone due to the sugar cane juice base and is perfect as a sipping gin. Perfect for if you enjoy juniper-forward gins.  Soft and smooth and very drinkable.

Also Read: Rum vs Whiskey

Rum vs Whiskey; what are the differences? John travelled to Mauritius for business in December, and he brought me back some Saint Aubin rum in a lovely tasting set.

The rum market in SA has slowly been growing, and the range now is far more extensive than just the Redheart and Captain Morgan rum from 10 years ago.

Rum is versatile and approachable, so the wider variety is great to see. The flavoured rums bring a new edge, and the cocktail possibilities with the various flavours are endless. Today, rums from Barbados, Jamaica, and Mauritius are available in SA.

Exploring the new rum growth has also led some well-known SA gin distilleries to release a rum or two. Many of the new SA rums are very drinkable. Mhoba, Tapanga and Surgarbird to name but a few. Gone are the days of raw, overly sweet cheap rums.

I associated rum with islands (and holidays) and wondered how rum and whisky differ. So I explored a bit: Rum vs Whisky; what are the differences?

What are the differences?

What is rum?

Rum conjures images of Caribbean islands and long drinks. The Caribbean Islands and Latin America are among the biggest rum producers globally.

According to some research, rum was first distilled on sugarcane plantations in the Caribbean in the 17th century. Plantation slaves realized that molasses, a by-product of sugar production, could be fermented into alcohol. The first official mention of rum was found in official documents from Barbados in 1650.

Rum is a distilled spirit made from sugarcane, sugarcane juice or molasses. The processes include distillation and fermentation. Rum tends to be aged for shorter periods, often because the distilleries are located in warm environments like the Caribbean. This means the angels’ share is higher than in colder countries like Scotland.

The alcohol content of rum varies from one country to the other and can go from at least 40% to beyond 60%. Sugar syrup is sometimes added back into the finished product to add sweeter notes.

Rum is classified into various categories – rhum agricole. white rum, dark rum, flavoured rum and spiced rum. Spices and flavours such as coffee, cinnamon, star anise, and cloves are added for spiced and flavoured rum.

Rum tends to be sweeter with a rich and spicy flavour when compared to whiskey. Recognized rum cocktails include the pina colada, the mojito, and the daiquiri.

What is Whiskey?

European monks brought the art of distillation to Ireland and Scotland in the fifteenth century. The earliest mention of whiskey in Ireland and Scotland comes from sixteenth and seventeenth-century notes.  Whiskey or whisky is produced in many countries including the USA, Ireland, India, SA and Taiwan.

Whiskey (whisky) is distilled from a fermented grain mash that may include: 
barley, rye, wheat and or corn. The whiskey-making process includes fermentation, distillation and ageing. Whisky is aged for at least three years in oak barrels before being called whiskey. Many distilleries finish their whiskey in barrels that previously held bourbon, sherry and even rum.

Types of whiskey include single malt, bourbon, pot still, grain whisky, blended whisky, and rye whiskey. Whiskey usually has alcohol contents of around 40%, depending on your country. In SA, the standard ABV is 43% for whiskey.

Famous whiskey cocktails include the Sazerac and an Old Fashioned.

Now, let me make myself a Dark and Stormy because research is thirsty work.

Also Read: Whiskey Sour Cocktail 

Something different this week; I capture my tasting notes for the Capital Gin Small Batch gin. A gin selected and bottled exclusively for WhiskyBrother&Co. Last week I got the opportunity to visit my favourite local gin distillery, the Capital Gin in Silvertondale in Pretoria.

I went to visit my friend Kelly to see what she has been up to now that the SA Government has lifted the Covid alcohol restrictions.

Craft distilleries and breweries in South Africa have been through a rough year with three alcohol bans and sales limitations. But restrictions have been lifted, and distilling can start again.

The Capital Gin tasting rooms are also open, and more people can get the opportunity to experience the distillery and taste their excellent gin. It makes for a great weekend outing when you grab a snack platter and get to taste various gins.

Also Read: Johnnie Walker Blue Label vs XR Whisky

These past couple of months, Kelly has been busy experimenting with and testing recipes for gin and rhum-agricole. I was fortunate to taste some of her rhum-agricole experiments, but I will write about that later.

What sets Kelly apart is her quest to make her gin as perfect as possible. She distils her own gin, which allows her the opportunity to start with the best possible ingredients. Right from the start, she uses locally sourced ingredients as far as possible and can ensure quality throughout the whole process.

I love tasting the new make spirit as it comes off Kelly’s still. At 90% ABV, you can get a feel for the base spirit’s quality and taste. The Capital Gin is triple distilled, and vapour infusion is used to instil the flavours.

The Exclusive WhiskyBrother&Co Gin

In 2020, WhiskyBrother&Co asked them to experiment with some recipes for an exclusive Capital Gin Small Batch WB release gin. The brief was it needs to be predominantly citrus in flavour and aroma and be navy strength! Gin at 57% ABV.

Navy strength refers to a spirit that is bottled at 57% alcohol by volume. Gin at 57% is fantastic for cocktails as the gin characteristics can stand up to the other flavours. At a higher ABV, the botanicals and their respective ratios need to be robust enough to shine through regardless of the spirit strength.

Kelly created nine different recipes and then narrowed it down to six options. The last six recipes were macerated for 48hrs with either lemon or orange rind in 90%ABV before distillation.

Whisky Brother ended up with five samples for a blind tasting at 57%. Once they made their choice regarding botanicals, Kelly started distilling and bottling the Whisky Brother exclusive release.  The recipe chosen in the end had citrus notes together with juniper, coriander, ginger, cassia bark and lavender. The result is an ultra-smooth and balanced gin with plenty of citrus notes.

It is the first gin bottled exclusively for WhiskyBrother&Co. Truly small-batch, with only 60 bottles produced. Bottled at the authentic “navy strength” of 57%. (Bottle size 750ml)

The Capital Gin Small Batch Gin Review

ABV: 57%

NOSE: Juniper and citrus

PALATE: It has notes of citrus and warming ginger spice. It reminded me of a pomander ball (a citrus fruit studded with cloves and dusted with other spices). There are notes of aniseed, cinnamon and nutmeg, balanced with hints of coriander and a flowery freshness.

RATING: EXCELLENT

The Capital Gin small batch WB release is a smooth, delicious gin. Even at the “navy strength” that I tasted it at, it is drinkable with no alcohol heat. The Capital Gin is perfect for drinking neat. Or add a few blocks of ice, and it is the perfect sipper on a warm day. After tasting the Small Batch gin, my friend Roelia suggested that it is ideal for a Tom Collins cocktail.

You can order it from WhiskyBrother&Co online, and it retails at R 780.  Don’t wait too long; there was only a limited number of bottles left.

Also Read: Cuba Libre Cocktail